Cleanout plug



May 13, 1941- H. A. scHoULER 2,241,560

cLEANoUT PLUG Filed Sept. 13, 1939 2 Sl'xeeu--Sheel'l l Figi [//llllll 7 "ffl,

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May 13,1941.

H. A. SCHOULERl V01.1111110111' PLUG Filed sept. 13, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 13, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT omer.

.2,241,560 oL'E'ANouT PLUG Henry A. Schouler, Framingham, Mass.

`Application September 13, 1939, Serial No. 294,653 6 Claims. (cl. 15'-104.s0)

being a portion of the vertical section leading This invention relates to a device for use in cleaning out clogged drain pipes.

When plumbing is installed in a house, itis a common practice to provide one or more cleanout plugs for use in clearing .the drain pipe in case it becomes clogged. These clean-out plugs are usually placed 'in elbows orA Y fittingsV and are arranged so that when the plug is removed, a snake or other similar implement 'can be introduced into the drain pipe or sewer pipek for the purpose of removing the obstruction.

It frequently happens that the clogging of. a drain pipe or sewer pipe is not lnoticed until the sewer pipe has been filled to a point above the clean-out plug, and when this condition exists, the removal of the clean-out plug for the purpose of introducing the snake or` other similar implement allows the sewage in the drain pipe that has accumulated above the clean-out plug to ow out into the cellar or basement, thus creating a very undesirable situation.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel clean-out device by means of which the snake or other obstruction-removing implement can be introduced into the clogged drain pipe without producing an opening through which the sewage or other contents of the pipe may ow out from the pipe. A

In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated herein some selected embodiments thereof which will now be ydescribed after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appending claims.

In the drawings: Y

Fig. 1 represents a portion of a drain pipe equipped with my improved clean-out plug.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2--2, Fig. 1.

from the bathroom fixtures. These pipe sections are connected through the medium of the Y tting 4 which is provided with the clean-out plug indicated generally at 5.

My improvements include a construction which permits a snake or other obstruction-removing implement to -be inserted into the Y fitting 4 without producing any opening through which any sewage or water which Vmay be backed up in the vertical -pipe section 3 can escape while the snake is being introduced.

The tting 4 is provided with the usual bell portion 3 in which is mounted a screw-*threaded sleeve I, the latter being retained in place by the calking 'Ib and having an interiorly Screwthreaded end to receive the clean-out plug, this being a common construction.

According to my invention, I employ a special form of plug and a fitting which cooperates with seat by means of a clamping screw I3 which eX- Fig. 3 is a section on the line 22, Fig.1, show- I ing the installation of the device which permits the insertion into the drain pipe of the snake or other obstruction-removing implement, while preventing any leakage from said pipe.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 2..

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a different embodiment of the invention. Y

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating the operation of, introducing the snake intol the drain pipe. l

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-,8, Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9, Fig. 6.

Referring first to Fig. l, I indicates generally part of a drain pipe' system, Zbeing a portion of the pipe section which leads to the sewer,4 and 3 tends through a bridge member I4 that rests against the inside of the flange I I, said clamping screw havingVscrew-threaded engagement with the valve plug I2.

implement is to be introduced into the tting l while there is a back pressure therein, the auxil iary plug I5 will first be removed from the plug 8 and then the clamping screw I3 may be backed .u off and; removed through the opening in the plug '8. If there is a back pressure in the tting 4,

prising a housing or sleeve I6 having a screw.

threaded end I'I adapted to be screwed into the opening in the plug 8. This sleeve I6 carries at one end a cap I8 having a hollow boss I9 in which is received a plurality of packing disks 2B, each having an aperture therethrough adapted to receive the shank portion of the snake 2|. These packing disks 2U are held in place by means of a cap 22 which is screw-threaded to the boss I9. The snake 2| extends through the packing disks 26 into the housing I6 and may be p-rovided at its end with a head 23 having any suitable or usual construction.

The housing I6 carrying the end of theV snake 2| will be screw-threaded to the plug 8 after the rauxiliary plug I5 and the screw I3 and bridge I5 have been removed and while the valve plug I2 is held against its seat by the back pressure in thev fitting.

As soon as the housing I6 has been installed, as shown in Fig. 3, then the snake will be pushed forwardly into contact with the valve plug I2, thus forcing said plug off from its seat, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 3. The snake can then be pushed forwardly through the iitting 4 and into the drain pipe 2, until the obstruction is reached, after which the snake may be manipulated in the way in which snakes are usually manipulated for removing an obstruction in a drain pipe. The packing disks 2'6 provide a tight joint around the snake so that thererwill be no leakage through the cap I8, and since the valve plug I2 will maintain the opening through the plug 8 closed until after the housing I6 has been screw-threaded to said plug, there will be no possibility that any leakage of sewage or other liquid from the pipe can occur while the snake is beingintroduced, even though there is more or less back pressure in the pipe 3 and tting 4.

The packing disks 20 are capable of rotation in the hub or boss I6, and this construction makes it possible to rotate the snake as it is being manipulated in order to facilitate the removal of therobstruction.

If-desired, the valve plug I2 may be provided with ears or projections 24 which t into recesses 25 formed in the edge of the flange II, these ears and recesses preventing the valve plug from rotative movement when the clamping screw I3 is tightened or backed off. 26 indicates a chain or flexible connection by which the valve plug I2 is permanently attached to the sleeve 1. The purpose of this chain is to prevent the plug I2 from being pushed into the sewer pipe by the snake when the latter is being introduced.

Thedevice shown in Figs. 1 to 5 involves a special form of clean-out plug which is suitable for new installations. In Figs. 6 to 8 I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention which is adapted for use with old installations and bv means of which the snake can be introduced into the drain pipe without any leakage from the pipe. In Fig. 6, the portion of the drain pipe having the clean-out plug is indicated at 4a, said portion having the usual bell 6a in which is mounted the screw-threaded sleeve 1a adapted to receive the clean-out plug 21. The clean-out plug or cap 21 is shown as having the flange 28 which seats against the end of the sleeve 1a., said cap also having the usual fiat-sided boss 23 *to receive a wrench for unscrewing the cap. In the device shownin Figs. 6 to 8, there is provided a housing member 3Q which is separate from the fitting 4a but is adapted to be clamped to the bell 6a withl formed on the end 60 of the housing 36. The valve plug 32 is held tightly to its seat by means of clamping screws 34 which have screw-threaded engagement therewith and which extend through a collar or disk 35 that rests against the outside of the end 90 of the housing 30.

The valve plug 32 normally carries a wrench member 36 which is rotatable therein. Said valve plug has the screw-threaded boss 31 on which is screw-threaded a cap 38, said cap enclosing a packing member 39 through which the wrench member extends and in which it rotates, said packing member making a tight joint between thevalve plug 32 and the wrench member. The inner end 40 of the wrench member is flat-sided or square in cross-section and is adapted to t a square socket 4I formed in an adaptor 42' that may be secured to the Wrench-receiving portion 29 of the cap 21 by means of set screws 51.

Means are provided by which the wrench member 36 may be moved forward from the position shown in Fig. 6 into a position to bring the square portion 46 into the socket 4I of the adaptor and by which said wrench-receiving portion may be then turned to unscrew the cap 21 from the sleeve 1a.

For this purpose, the wrench member 36 is provided with the fiat-sided tail portion 43 adapted to have interlocking engagement with a comple-vk mental portion 44 formed on the end of a stem 45 which is housed in a sleeve 46. Each of the complementary portions 43, 44, is formed with a recess 41 and a projection 48, the projection of one member fitting the recess of the other member when the two members are coupled together, as shown in Fig. 6. 'I'he sleeve 46 and stem 45 are normally locked' together by means of a pin 48 which extends transversely through said sleeve and stem. When the sleeve is in the position shown in Fig. 6, the left-hand'end thereof encloses both complementary portions 43, 44, and thus holds them in their locked-together relation. The pin 48 is removable, and when it is withdrawn, the sleeve can be retracted to a position where the left-hand end thereof is situated beyond the end of the tail 43 and when the sleeve v is in this retracted position, the stem 45 can then be disconnected fromthe wrench member. In using the device shown in Fig. 6, the adaptor 42 will rst be clamped to the wrench-receiving portion 29 of the cap 21, and if desired, set screws 51 may be used for retaining the adaptor in place. The housing 30 is then clamped to the 4 bell 6a by some suitable means, and the sleeve 46 with its stem 45 may then be moved forwardly or to the left, Fig. 6, thereby carrying the square portion 40 of the wrench member 36 into the socket 4| of the adaptor, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6. The sleeve 46 is the same size as the body of the wrench member 36 so that when the sleeve is in the dotted line position, Fig. 6, the packing 39 will maintain a tight joint between the valve plug 32 and the sleeve.

. are in the dotted line position, Fig. 6, with the a tight joint, as seen in Fig. 6, said'housing -mem- 1- 70 a valve plug 32 which seats against a seat 33 .75.

end 4D 'of the wrench member occupying the socket 4I of the adaptor, said wrench member may be turnedto unscrew the cap 21 from the sleeve 1a by applying a turning movement to the Isleeve 46 and stem 45, it being understood that the complementary portions 44 and 43 of the stem and wrench member respectively are maintained in theirv interlocked relation by the enclosing sleeve 46.' The pin 48 provides convenient means for turning thest'em andsleeve.

After` the cap 28 has been removed from'the When the parts sleeve la, then the sleeve 4'6 and its stem 45 and the wrench member are returned to the position shown in Fig.v 6, with the wrench member occupying' the boss of the plug 32, the removed cap 21 meanwhile gravitating to the bottom of the housing 3l), as shown in Fig. 7. The wrench member is provided with stop projections 49 adapted to engage an interior shoulder i) in the valve plug 32 for the purpose of limiting the backward movement of the wrench member. When the wrench member has been returned to the full line position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, then the sleeve 4E will be withdrawn suiciently to permit the stem 45 to be unooupled from the wrench member. The clamping screws 34 are then removed together with the plate 35 and the housing I6 may then be screwed into the screw-threaded opening 3| of the member 3@ as shown in Fig. 7. During this operation, any back pressure within the fitting la will hold the valve plug 32 to its seat, thus preventing any leakage. When the housing I6 has been installed, as shown in Fig. '7,

then the snake 2l may be pushed forwardly, during which movement it engages the wrench member or the valve plug 32, and forces said plug off from its seat. The snake may then be advanced through the fitting 3i) into the fitting la and as far into the pipe 2 asnecessary to remove the obstruction.

' The valve plug 32 is shown as connected to the end 90 of the housing 39 through the medium of a chain 60. This chain prevents the valve plug from being pushed into the drain pipe'by the action of the snake.

Any suitable or usual means may be employed for connecting the housing 30 to the ntting 4a. One convenient device for this purpose comprises an anchoring ring 6| adapted to encircle the bell 6 behind the shoulder V62, which anchoring ring has a plurality of studs 53 extending therefrom which pass through apertures formed in the flange 64 of the housing 3B. Each of these studs 63 is screw-threaded and has at its end a clamping nut 65 by which the housing 30 is clamped firmly against the end 66 of the bell 6a. If del sired, a gasket 61 may be employed between the housing and the bell to make a tight joint. The

anchoring ring 6l is shown as made up of a plurality of short lengths of chain EB, the adjacent ends of adjacent sections being connected together by clamping bolts-69. Each of the studs 63 is provided with a head 'Hl through which one of the clamping bolts 63 passes.

By removing the nut 'H from one of the clamping bolts E9, the anchoring member 6I can be opened up so as to permit it to be placed around the bell 6a of the tting 4a. These nuts 'H provide means for reducing the size of the anchoring member to cause it to be firmly clamped about the bell.

The device shown in Figs. 6 to 8 can thus be used for introducing a snake into a fitting da of the type which is provided with the usual clean-out cap or plug 2l, without danger that there be any leakage from the fitting 4 when the cap 27 is removed, even though there is back pressure within the fitting.

Both embodiments of the invention illustrated comprise a closure member adapted to be secured to the end of a drain pipe and having a passageway therethrough, a valve plug normally closing said passageway and held to its seat by means removable from the exterior of the closure plug, a snake-carrying housing adapted to be secured to the closure member after the valve plug retaining means has been removed, and a snake' carried by said housing and operable therethrough, and adapted to be manipulated to force the valve plug off from its seat, and then to be introduced into the pipe for clearing any obstruction therein,

In the construction shown in Figs. l to 5, the closure member is the plug 8 which normally closes the end of the pipe and which has the passageway therethrough that is normally closed by the valve plug I2.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8 the closure member is the housing which is adaptedto be secured to the pipe section and which closes the end thereof after the cap 21 has been removed. This closure member 3E) also has a passageway therethrough, the outer end of which is screw-threaded and which is normally closed by the valve plug 32, and the snake-carrying housing i6 is adapted to be screw-threaded into the screw-threaded end of the housing, as shown in Fig. 7.

The snake-carrying housing I6 maybe provided with a nipple 8D to which a hose pipe, shown in dotted lines at 3l, may be attached. The

opening through this nipple is normally closed by a Aremovable cap 82. If it is desired to flush out the drain pipe after an obstruction has been removed by means of the device herein illustrated, then the cap B2 may be removed and a hose pipe 8| attached to the nipple through which flushing water may be introduced to the housing I6 and thus to the drain pipe.

vIolaim: r

' l. A device for cleaning drain pipes comprising a closure member adapted to be secured to the end of a drain pipe and provided with a passageway therethrough and a valve seat, Ian inwardly opening valve plug engaging said valve seat and closing said passageway, removable plugretaining means accessible from the outside of said closure member to clamp the valve plug to its seat, said valve plug beingV released from its Valve seat by the removal of the plug-retaining means, and a snake-carrying housing member adapted to be detachably secured to the closure member after the plug-retaining means has been removed, whereby the snake element carried by said snake-'carrying housing member may be operated to dislodge the valve plug inwardly and thus open the passageway for the operation of the snake element in clearing an obstruction from the drain pipe.

2. A device for clearing drain pipes comprising a closure member adapted to close theend of a drain pipe and having a passageway therethrough, an inwardly opening valve plug for normally closing said passageway, removable means capable 'of being manipulated from the outside ofthe closure member for retaining the valve plug on its seat, said valve plug being released by the removal of said means, anda snake-carrying housing member adapted to be secured to the closure member after the plug-retaining means has `been removed, whereby the snake carried by said ysnake-'carrying housing may be operated to dislodge the valve plug inwardly and thus open the passageway for the operation of the snake element in clearing an obstruction in the pipe.

3. A devi-ce for clearing drain pipes comprising a closure member adapted to close the end of a drain pipe and having a passageway therethrough, the outer end of which is provided with interior screw-threads, an inwardly opening valve plug normally closing the inner end of said passageway, removable means accessible for removal from the outside ofthe closure member to retain the valve plug on its seat, and a snakecarryin-g housing member adapted to be screwed into the screw-threaded end of the passageway, whereby the snake element carried by said snakecarrying housing member may be operated to dislodge the valve plug inwardly and thus open the passageway for the operation of said snake element in clearing an obstruction from the drain.

4. A device for clearing drain pipes comprising a closure member adapted to close the end of a drain pipe and having a passageway Itherethrough, .the outer end of which is screwthreaded, said closure member having an inwardly directed radial flange at its inner end, an inwardly opening valve plug seated on said ange and closing said passageway, a bridge member spanning said flange, a clamping screw carried by the bridge member and screw-threaded into the valve plug for retaining the latter to its seat, said bridge member and clamping screw being removable through the outer end of the passageway, a snake-carrying housing adapted to be screw-threaded int-o the screw-threaded end of the passageway after the bridge member and clamping screw have been removed, whereby the snake element c-arried 'by the snake-carrying housing member may be operated to dislodge the valve plug inwardly and thus open the passageway for .the operation of said snake element in clearing an obstruction in the drain pipe.

5. A device for clearing drain pipes which are clo'sed at one end by a removable capcomprising a closure member having means to secure it to the end o-f the pipe and also having a passageway therethrough, an inwardly opening valve plug for closing the passageway, removable means accessible from outside the closure member for clamping the valve plug to its seat, means operable .through the valve plug to remove the cap from the end of .the pipe after the closure member is Iattached thereto, a snake-carrying housing adapted to be secured to the closure member after the retaining means for the valve plug has been removed, and a snake carried by the snakecarrying housing and operable therethrough rst to dislodge the unclamped valve plug from its seat and then to enter the pipe for clearing any obstruction therein.

6. A device for clearing drain pipes which are closed at one end by a removable cap, said device comprising a Vcup-shaped closure member having means to secure it to the pipe with its o-pen end sealed against the end of the pipe, said closure means having an opening through its end, an inwardly opening valve plug normally closing said opening, removable means accessible from the outside of the closure member for clamping the valve plug to its seat, means `operable through the valve plug to remove the cap from the 4pipe after the closure member has been attached thereto, a snake-carrying housing adapted to be secured to the closure member after the retaining means for the valve plug having been removed, and la snake carried Eby said snake-carrying housing and operable therethrough to dislodge the unclamped valve plug from its seat and to enter the pipe for the purpose of clearing an obstruction therefrom.

HENRY A. SCHOULER. 

